I just spent some time working with a beta application called OpenZine, a website where you can create an online magazine that includes a cover and 1 page of content. Users can create content online using the OhhZee Image Editor to add images, shapes, text and effects. Users can also create original content or mix and match content from multiple sources. There was a bit of a learning curve associated with the use of this product, but the video tutorial was helpful and with a little trial and error experimenting I soon found myself manipulating content without too much trouble.

The strength of this application lies in the layout capability. Users can create a cover and choose from nine layout styles, each of which includes images, articles, and video placeholders. OpenZine also has a clipping feature that lets you clip content from another page or zine. Attribution for the article/content is handled automatically by OpenZine. I was a bit concerned by this feature initially, but then realized it could be helpful for students who are collaborating on a project. Each student could work on his own “zine” content and then clip content from his partners’ “zines” to produce a final version for the group. Students could create historical magazines, how-to magazines, foreign language zines, and more…the sky is the limit in terms of integration. I almost forgot to mention when a user posts a magazine there is a social interface that makes it easy for readers to leave comments and video responses. This would be a great feature to enable for peer evaluation. OpenZine could also be used as a vehicle to post a weekly or monthly classroom newsletter.

As much as I like this application and think it holds great promise for classroom integration, I do have a couple of suggestions for the creators…

• It would be great if users could create more than one page…sometimes one page just is not enough!
• I wish it was easier to add video from sources other than YouTube (I know…you can paste embedding information in a text box, but still…)
• It would be really neat if there was an advanced feature that gave users the freedom to create their own layouts without having to work around the pre-set layouts.
• I wish I could create a widget so I could embed my magazine’s on my blog or website.
• I also agree with (ReadWriteWeb) reviewer Frederic Lardinois: the advertising the on the site is distracting, especially in the design mode.
• Larinois also suggested that this site would integrate well with Flickr…it certainly would be nice to have more photo options available so photographs could be easily accessible during the design phase.

Don’t get the wrong idea…this is a great application that could be used as is, but even great products can be improved!